Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today, let’s lean into love relationships.

In today’s scripture, Luke 10:25-29 (NLT) we read…
[25] One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” [26] Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” [27] The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” [28] “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” [29] The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Consider…
Psalmist Tina Turner musically asked a question, ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’?

Well we know that with God, love has everything to do with it. 1 John 4:16 (NLT) testifies…
[16] We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

Based on this verse, it’s reasonable to say love is the lifeblood of believers!

I think we all know and get the importance of love. However, I also think many of us are exclusive, rather than inclusive, with our love. Today’s scripture is emblematic of the attitudes of far too many questions. Like the expert in the passage, many Christ Followers ask the question, ‘who is my neighbor’? Jesus responded to the question with the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’.

But in Matthew 5:43-45 (NLT), Jesus upped the anti on who we should love. He said…
[43] “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. [44] But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! [45] In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

We’re told to love our enemies!!! 😩

However, God’s love expectation comes as no surprise. Romans 5:8, 10-11 (NLT) testifies…
[8] But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
[10] For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. [11] So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Notice, God loved us while we were still SINNERS & ENEMIES!

Who do you love that still hates you?

There are a couple additional significant love observations from this scripture.

• Love restores broken relationships.
• Love transforms old enemies into new friends.

This means God doesn’t want us to pretend to love others, He wants us to love for real. In fact Romans 12:9-10 (NLT) admonishes…
[9] Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. [10] Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

You see if we love like God, it should invite our enemies to become mutual friends with Christ.

Another thought the Holy Spirit is giving me is that God doesn’t want us to love just out of obedience, He wants to love out of His Love. The Holy Spirit made His point using 1 John 4:19 (NLT), which explains…
[19] We love each other because he loved us first.

In addition to pointing out the motivation of our love, the Holy Spirit emphasized the extent of our love is total sacrifice. He drove this home with John 15:13-14 (NLT), where Jesus said…
[13] There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command.

Don’t zoom through Jesus’ words. He said the greatest love that exists is dying for friends to live, and He said it before explaining who His friends were. But as amazing as that is, look at Jesus’ friend requirement that He states in John 15:17 (NLT)…
[17] This is my command: Love each other.

Love signifies and dictates our friendship with God! 1 John 4:7-8 (NLT) emphasizes…
[7] Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. [8] But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God is unequivocal about His high love expectation! He wants us to love like Him. 1 John 4:11 (NLT) exhorts…
[11] Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

And how does God love? 1 John 4:9-10 (NLT) explains…
[9] God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. [10] This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

God loved EVERYONE and gave! (John 3:16)

That’s the love standard! And our Agape love for everyone is the living proof of our relationship with God!

How much you love others shows God how much you really love Him! Love accordingly! 💞

Today’s Song is…
Love

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)